Wicked617

Crank the volume, Boston style! Here’s the gritty, rebellious scoop on what went down this week in rock and country history, served with a side of Southie swagger.

April 13

  • 1962: The Beatles kick off a 48-night grind at Hamburg’s Star Club, basically livin’ on beer and vibes, shapin’ their raw edge like a Fenway fastball.
  • 1965: Lennon and McCartney cut “Help!” in Abbey Road, spillin’ their guts in a track that’s half cry for help, half middle finger to the chaos.
  • 1967: Nancy and Frank Sinatra top the UK charts with “Somethin’ Stupid.” Father-daughter duo? Yeah, they owned it like a North End power move.
  • 1968: Bobby Goldsboro’s “Honey” starts its five-week reign on the Hot 100, a sappy country tearjerker that hits like a dive bar jukebox classic.
  • 1973: Roger Miller sweeps the Grammys with five wins for “Dang Me,” provin’ country can slap harder than a Dorchester street fight.
  • 2010: George Strait keeps his country crown, droppin’ another Top 10 banger on the Billboard charts like it’s just another day in Nashville.

April 14

  • 1957: Elvis Presley’s “All Shook Up” locks in eight weeks at #1, shakin’ the charts like a T rattling through South Station.
  • 1975: Linda Ronstadt flips the Everly Brothers’ “When Will I Be Loved” into a #1 country smash, beltin’ it with pure California grit.
  • 1980: The Pretenders drop their debut album, with Chrissie Hynde slingin’ punk-rock attitude like a bat outta Allston.
  • 1999: Nashville says goodbye to Tammy Wynette, the Queen of Country, with a send-off bigger than a Gillette tailgate.

April 15

  • 1966: The Rolling Stones unleash Aftermath, all original tracks, with “Paint It Black” hittin’ like a Back Bay bar brawl.
  • 1971: George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord” climbs to #1 in the UK, a spiritual jam that later got him tangled in court—classic rock drama.
  • 1989: Hank Williams Jr. and George Strait dominate the ACM Awards, throwin’ country punches in LA’s glitzy ring.
  • 2004: Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Red White and Blue” storms the rock charts, their first radio hit in decades, flyin’ the Southern flag high.

April 16

  • 1956: Buddy Holly lays down “Blue Days, Black Nights” in Nashville, crankin’ out rockabilly vibes sharper than a switchblade.
  • 1977: Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours tops the charts, fueled by heartbreak and bangers like “Go Your Own Way”—pure rock soap opera.
  • 1993: Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart” turns Some Gave All into a mullet-fueled country juggernaut. Line dancin’ takes over!
  • 2012: Levon Helm of The Band passes at 71, leavin’ behind “The Weight” and a legacy heavier than a Charles River fog.

April 17

  • 1960: Eddie Cochran’s life ends in a brutal car crash at 21, fresh off tourin’ with Gene Vincent—rockabilly’s gut-punch loss.
  • 1970: Johnny Cash plays the White House but tells Nixon “nah” on playin’ his anti-hippie tunes. Man in Black keeps it real.
  • 1983: Alabama’s “Dixieland Delight” hits #1, mixin’ Southern rock and country like a cold Sam Adams on a hot night.
  • 2003: Earl Scruggs gets his Hollywood star, ‘cause nobody picks a banjo like him—bluegrass legend, no contest.

April 18

  • 1956: Chuck Berry records “Roll Over Beethoven,” tellin’ classical music to kick rocks with a riff that screams freedom.
  • 1974: The Eagles drop On the Border, with “Already Gone” blendin’ country and rock smoother than a Harbor cruise.
  • 1980: AC/DC taps Brian Johnson to replace Bon Scott, settin’ the stage for Back in Black to blow the roof off.
  • 1998: Robbie Williams’ Life Thru a Lens rules the UK charts, his post-Take That glow-up hittin’ like a wicked pissah comeback.

April 19

  • 1965: The Beach Boys release The Beach Boys Today!, growin’ up with “When I Grow Up” while keepin’ that surf-rock soul.
  • 1979: The Doobie Brothers’ Minute by Minute tops the charts, with “What a Fool Believes” smooth as a ride down Comm Ave.
  • 1986: George Michael makes UK history, goin’ solo and scorin’ #1 with “A Different Corner”—pop star flexin’ hard.
  • 2021: Jim Steinman, the genius behind Meat Loaf’s Bat Out of Hell, passes at 73, leavin’ rock anthems bigger than Fenway’s Green Monster.

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Sources: Pulled from the vaults of Billboard, Rolling Stone, and music history dives.